UK online ad spend jumps 21% despite downturn

Depressed by the general market malaise at the moment I twittered this morning that I was looking for some good news. Amongst the replies I got was a link from Walid of Trusted Places to a StrategyEye post reporting an increase in online ad spend:

The online ad market grew 21% year-on-year, attracting spending of GBP1.68bn for the six-month period from January to June, according to latest figures published by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). The rise came as all other mediums – TV, radio, print and outdoor – suffered from declining ad spend.–Online’s share of the total UK ad market rose four points above expectations, coming in at 18.7%, narrowly behind print’s 19.3% share and TV’s 21.7%.

Good news indeed, and better than I would have guessed. Let’s hope the next six months produce something similar.